Updated 07:58 p.m., Friday, March 30, 2012

In today’s world, much of the architectural and urban design discussion about commercial design addresses more intimatebuilding details that assist in attracting pedestrian customers. This is the type of customer who prefers to patronize neighborhood businesses, such as the local bakery or coffee shop.

Back in the 1950s, thinking about how attract a customer visually was a modern approach and so was the resulting architecture. But then, this new architectural style, with bold imagery, new technology and modern materials, was being designed by California architects, not for attracting the pedestrian customer, but for the specific purpose of attracting a motorist at 40 miles per hour into the parking lot of the business.

This midcentury modern style used highly visible, boldly scaled geometric roof shapes and become known as “Googie” architecture, after a California coffee shop designed in the late 1940s. A few years later, the term would show up in House and Home magazine.

Unlike the typical flat roofs of commercial buildings, the rooflines of this modern movement style were represented in the coffee shop genre by bold planes and angles that jutted up toward the sky. Walls of glass melded interior space with the outdoors so patrons could look out as motorists looked in.

Inside the coffee shop, the kitchen area was open and could be viewed by the patron, who would be seated at gleaming metal countertops. The irregular floor plan required irregular seating arrangements and booths to conform to the undulating walls, lending an organic, natural feel to the space. Freestanding signage often was integrated as sculptural elements, using motifs from the then-dawning “space age.”

In Alan Hess’ book, “Googie: Fifties Coffee Shop Architecture,” he notes that signage and extravagant roofs were used as a marketing package in addition to architectural expression. He additionally notes that the coffee shop modern style was responsible for several chain restaurants throughout the United States and Canada, including those of the Big Boy and Denny’s restaurants.

The design references to some of the California coffee shop chains are especially noticeable at the Jim’s on Broadway and Loop 410, which maintains two sidewalls that look like giant checkmarks and appears to cantilever over a wall of glass, and in the Jim’s on Fredericksburg near Loop 410, which resembles a series of elongated chevrons with wide overhanging eaves.

While our San Antonio community has a fair amount of midcentury residential housing stock, these remnants of modern commercial coffee shop architecture have been able to provide lasting examples of commercial businesses that serve the driving public.

There is growing desire to create urban commercial businesses that serve the pedestrian and bicycle customer. With the many planning efforts that are in place to create better pedestrian and bicycle networks throughout the San Antonio community, it will interesting to see how, or if, traditionally roadside establishments transition to a more urban setting.

Perhaps a walk-up latte window?

Cherise J. Bell is an architectural historian and San Antonio resident who likes to explore the unique aspects of midcentury modern architecture.